Statkraft has announced it is to build the 517MW Cetin hydropower project in Turkey, its third hydro scheme in the country and its largest outside Norway.
Cetin is to be located on the Botan River, a tributary to the Tigris River in the Siirt province, in southeast Turkey. The EUR500M project will feature two dams and two power stations. Cetin Main will have an installed capacity of 401MW, while the downstream Cetin Lower is planned with an installed capacity of 116MW.
The civil works for the project will be carried out by a JV of Turkish constructors Yuksel and Ilci. andritz Hydro is nominated as contractor for electro-mechanical equipment. Cetin will employ about 1500 workers during the construction phase.
“Cetin will considerably increase Statkraft’s capacity in Turkey, in line with our strategy to become a significant generator of flexible hydropower in Turkey. Cetin is a sustainable project, providing Turkey and Europe with more pure energy while creating jobs and local development,” said EVP International hydropower in Statkraft, Øistein Andresen.
Turkey is the fastest growing power market in Europe, and the annual electricity demand is expected to double from 200 to 400TWh by 2020. Hydropower today generates about 20% of the electricity used in Turkey, and there is substantial potential for further hydropower development.
Statkraft’s first hydropower plant in Turkey, Cakit (20MW), started commercial operation in June 2010. Kargi (102MW) is under construction and is expected to be operational by the end of 2013. After the completion of Cetin in 2015, Statkraft will have a total capacity of 639MW and a total annual output of approximately 2TWh in the country.